Monday's Child  Dystopia  Part One
by Pizza the Hut
Summary: Sequel to "Sandbox".  First of a multi-part story with a cliff-hanger.  Carol returns to celebrate her birthday, unaware that she has become the vital key to the solution of Janice's experiments.  And who is the mysterious James?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The Birthday Party

As the applause died down to be replaced by idle chatter, Lyndon approached the guitarist and whispered into his ear. The guitarist pointed down to another guitar, invitingly to Lyndon. Lyndon took the guitar and attached the strap over his shoulder, and plugging in the jack plug with an electronic clunk through the amp as it made contact.

"This one's for my mum" said Lyndon into the microphone. "It's called 'Walk Don't Run' –you know what I mean!"

"Cheeky monkey!" exclaimed Janice.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Carol.

"Nothing," said Janice "just a private joke."

"Well he's certainly come out of his shell since he broke out" said Carol. "I'd never have recognised him."

"He keeps TIM on his toes, no mistake, metaphorically speaking" said John taking off his party hat.

"It's nice of you all to arrange this for me" said Carol. "I've not had a birthday party for years, and never one with a live band."

"Well actually," said Elizabeth, looking round at the others at the table for moral support, "we have to admit to an ulterior motive."

"Oh, and what would that be?" asked Carol. Just then Janice distracted them.

"Don't look now, but you'll never guess who's just come in?" said Janice.

"Who?" asked Carol.

"Uncle Les!" replied Janice.

"No!" Exclaimed Carol.

"Who's Les?" asked Ed.

"Our uncle" said Carol. "We love him to bits, honest we do, but . . . well, he's got no sense of embarrassment."

"I had a holiday job at McDonalds when I was seventeen, and one day Les came in and shouted at the top of his voice "Hey Minky Moo, how about some service". Well that was it. I was Minky Moo from then on" said Janice.

"Minky Moo?" asked John.

"Just don't" warned Janice.

"He sounds like fun" said Ed standing up. ""Hey Les! Over here!"

"Ed!" said Elizabeth. But it was too late. Uncle Les had seen the party and was making his way over.

"Hello Dogstail, and who's my favourite niece?" said Uncle Les to Carol, giving her a hug and a birthday kiss.

"Oh Uncle Les, do you mean me?" said Carol flattered.

"To be truthful, no. I mean your cousin Sarah, but you run her a close second" said Les.

"Dogstail?" asked Anthony.

"Uncle Les gave us all nicknames" said Janice.

"Like Minky Moo" said Anthony.

"Like Minky Moo" said Janice reluctantly.

"And Richard was Itchy Richie" said Carol.

"So why Dogstail?" asked John. "What's the story behind that?"

"Uncle Les. Don't" said Carol, but she was too late. The group were all too keen to know the origin of Carol's (up until now) secret nickname, and Les was far too keen to divulge.

"Well, not that you'd call it a tradition" Les began, "because you can't. It's just the miracle of nature. But every last one of us – my two, our Sandy's three, and Janice and Richard of course, all popped into the world bang on schedule. In fact as far as anyone can recollect, in our family, all babies have landed bang on schedule. All, of course except of our Carol, who should have been born on Christmas Day, hence the name . . ."

. . . and would have been called Noel if she'd been born a lad 'pathed Carol to the others.

"and would have been called Noel if she'd been born a lad" continued Les, "but popped out exactly two weeks late. And that's why we say she's like the proverbial dog's tail - always behind."

The others laughed, except for Carol who didn't look particularly impressed.

"Anyway" said Les handing Carol a gift-wrapped package and a birthday card "this is for you from me and your Auntie Pat. She'd have liked to have come, but she's not as well as she used to be."

"Oh, thanks Uncle Les" said Carol opening the parcel. "Tell Auntie Pat thanks for me, and give her my love." Carol finally opened the package. "A mobile phone! Thanks Uncle Les!"

"Top of the range that is" said Les. "Got GPS, internet, you name it. Now you've got no excuses - you'll have to keep in touch. Remember, you're never alone with a mobile phone. Anyway, I'll leave you and your friends to it and go mingle."

As Les walked off towards the bar, Carol looked at the box containing Uncle Les's gift.

"You're never alone with a mobile phone" said Janice.

"Bless" said Carol. "I just wish I could tell him, you know, the truth about me, about the Tomorrow People. I just daren't. Anyway, you had something to tell me."

"Well, it's a long story" said John "and you're not going to like it."

"Try me" said Carol.

"John, don't spoil Carol's big day!" said Helen, trying to deflect some of the attention.

John looked across at Janice. "Well, I'm sure it'll keep. We'll discuss it tomorrow in the Lab."

"Can't you give us a hint?" asked Carol. "You can't just leave me suspended in mid air like that."

"Or in hyperspace!" joked John.

"Don't remind me!" said Carol. "Thinking about that just makes me go to pieces!"

John and Carol laughed. The others didn't get the joke.

"I . . . I don't get it" said Ed.

"And I doubt you ever will" said Carol.

"Funny what your uncle said about you being born past your due date" said Helen. "I was ten days late."

"Yes, so was I" said Elizabeth. "And so was Anthony. Well more like eleven I suppose."

"What about me, mum?" asked Rachel.

"You should have been a late March baby, but you arrived towards the middle of April" said Helen.

"Do I detect a pattern?" asked John.

"Maybe we should get TIM on the case" said Anthony.

"Maybe we should" said John.


	2. Chapter 2

A2 Two Sisters

Janice teleported onto the jaunting pad. In the corner, she could see her sister Carol preparing one of the makeshift beds in the corner of the lab.

"Hi Carol!" said Janice. Carol just turned and looked coldly at Janice. "I take it John's filled you in?"

"Yes, and I can't say I'm impressed" said Carol as Janice stepped down into the body of the Lab. "Do you have any idea how stupid and risky it was doing what you did? Not to say selfish."

"Carol, you have no idea what it's like. It's like not being allowed into the game, and I can't even discuss things with my friends, or even with Clive. It's just one big secret I have to keep from everyone, and it doesn't include me" said Janice. "And what do you mean selfish?"

"You ought to try sleeping on one of these things. It's like sleeping on a plank" said Carol. "If you hadn't meddled, I'd have Elizabeth's spare room with its comfortable bed."

"So now who's being selfish?" said Janice.

"Don't throw that one at me" said Carol.

"Ladies, if I may interrupt" said TIM.

"Oh shut up, TIM" said Carol.

"No, you go ahead, TIM" said Janice.

"Would that meet with your approval, Carol?" asked TIM.

"No it bloody well wouldn't!" said Carol.

"Okay, have it your way" said Janice. "Don't let it worry you. Just go. Go on. Pop off to whatever planet you live on now, and don't give us another thought. Nothing fresh there."

"Janice, that's not fair" protested Carol.

"Don't worry about me or anyone else. Sod the consequences" said Janice. "Why should it matter to you if I live or die? Some Tomorrow Person you are!"

Carol suddenly stopped and thought about what Janice just said. "Die?" asked Carol. "What do you mean die?"

"If you go, I'm dead. Not now but earlier, well earlier to me but later to you. Go, and I'm just a ghost now, gone for good" said Janice.

Carol dropped the pillow she had in her hand and walked towards Janice, a tear appearing in her eye. Unable to be angry, she hugged Janice and kissed her on the forehead. "I missed you so much, Minky. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you again. You'll never know how much I love you, that's why I got angry."

John appeared on the jaunting pad.

"Evening Carol, Janice, TIM" said John. "I see you're making yourself comfy for tonight."

"You must be joking!" said Carol. "If only it didn't have to be me. You wouldn't fancy swopping places, would you?"

"Who me? No fear! Like sleeping on a gun barrel! No sorry Carol, it has to be you" said John joining the sisters in the middle of the Lab. "When Janice appeared in the Lab in the future, you woke up and handed her the silencer band."

"That filthy thing" said Carol. "I don't see what difference it makes as long as she gets it. Couldn't we take turns?"

"To change the merest detail would change history" said TIM. "Although it is our future, it is Janice's past, and we have no idea how her present would be affected if we were to make the slightest alteration."

"And you don't know how long I'll have to bunk down here?" asked Carol.

"I don't think it'll be long. No more than a few days or a week at the most" said Janice.

"A week!" exclaimed Carol. "I'll be bent double! I'll have to get an osteopath to walk up and down my spine!"

"It won't be that bad" said John. "Look, I'll put the silencer band in a bag for you if you like. That way you won't have to touch it."

"I don't hear you volunteering" said Carol.

"I've already said it can't be me it has . . ." said John.

"Has to be me" said Carol, anticipating his sentence, "I've heard it a million times."

"John" said TIM, "I've been gathering some information together regarding the gestation time of Tomorrow People."

"Oh yes, TIM. I was going to ask about that" said John.

"It appears that of the Tomorrow People known to us, including you both, all were delivered late by up to sixteen days" said TIM.

"That's very interesting, TIM, good work, thank you" said John.

"That would make sense, wouldn't it? "said Carol. "If we are more advanced, then our pregnancies would naturally be a bit longer, wouldn't they?"

"Not necessarily so" said TIM. "There are other, theoretically lesser species, with gestation periods much longer than humans."

"However, the information would be useful to us in identifying potential new Tomorrow People long before they were ready to break out" said John.

"Oh, I never thought of that" said Carol.

"Right, well, if you're planning to stay a few days, you'd better be prepared" said John reaching into his pocket for his wallet. He took out five twenty pound notes and a ten pound note and handed them to Carol.

"What's that for?" asked Carol.

"You meant to go home today didn't you?" said John.

"Well yes, but . . ." said Carol.

"And clearly that's no longer the case" said John.

"We've already been over that one" said Carol.

"So you'll have to get some supplies in if you're staying a few days, won't you?" said John.

"Supplies?" said Carol.

"Jimjams, toothpaste, shampoo, a change of clothes" said Janice.

"But this is too much" said Carol.

"Don't worry, I'll be expecting receipts and change" said John.

"You have been away a long time, haven't you" said Janice.

"Why don't you go with Carol, Janice?" suggested John. "Take her down town for a bit of late night shopping?"

"Wouldn't it be easier for TIM to materialise what I need?" asked Carol.

"Yes" said Janice, "but it wouldn't be as much fun!"

"So what's it to be?" asked John.

Carol made her way to the jaunting pad, followed by Janice. "What do you think?" said Carol. With that, Carol and Janice dematerialised.


	3. Chapter 3

A3 Little Crystal 1

Tom was just shutting down the equipment in his laboratory at the university after a hard day's work when a familiar face popped round the door.

"Hi Tom, not going anywhere were we?" said Richard.

"Thirty seconds longer and you'd have been out of luck" said Tom as he flicked the socket switch leading to his spectrophotometer. Richard came into the room.

"Fancy a pint?" asked Richard.

"Richard, it's been a long and frustrating day. Besides, Michelle would kill me if I were to be late again this week" said Tom. "I'm sure she thinks I'm seeing another woman!"

"No, not you" said Richard. "You're too ugly for that! I just want you to take a look at something." He reached into his pocket and withdrew his handkerchief. Unfolding his handkerchief, he revealed a small blue crystal with a hole at its edge, through which a synthetic lace was threaded.

Tom took the crystal. "Seems very unremarkable" he said.

"Unremarkable?" said Richard. "Just try this. Hold it tightly in your hand and make a fist." Tom did as instructed.

"That's amazing!" said Tom.

"What is?" asked Richard. "Come on, Tom. I want to hear you say it. What's amazing?"

"It's like a high. Not a druggie high, but a feeling . . . like a feeling of well-being! I can't quite put my finger on it" said Tom, releasing his grip. "Oh, it's gone now."

"That's exactly what I expected you to say" said Richard.

"So how does it work?" asked Tom.

"That's why I'm here. That's why you've got it. It's your department" said Richard.

Tom looked at the crystal. "It seems to have a translucent centre" he said, holding it up to his eye, "but when you try to look through it, it just goes black. Where did you get it?"

"It belongs to my nephew" said Richard. "He dropped it at my sister's birthday party. I just haven't had time to return it yet."

"I think maybe I'll take you up on that offer of a pint after all" said Tom.


	4. Chapter 4

A4 Carol's Perspective

Carol was woken by a shake of her shoulder.

"Hello" said the voice. Carol tried to ignore the voice. For the fifth night in a row, she had been trying for hours to drop off to sleep without much success. She had finally managed it, and wasn't likely to surrender so easily.

"Hello" said the voice again. This must be it, thought Carol. Strange as it might seem, Carol had to accept that this voice belonged to her sister Janice, who, because of her meddling in concepts beyond her understanding, had been displaced in time, and had arrived, by a circuitous route, in the Lab in the early hours of that morning. Carol realised that she had to make herself get up there and then. Carol grunted, and pulled the duvet off her face.

"Carol!" exclaimed Janice. "What are you doing here?" Carol drowsily lifted her head, struggling to focus through her sleep-ridden eyes.

"What time is it?" said Carol drowsily, trying to focus in on her wrist watch.

"I don't think there's any point asking me" said Janice.

"Nearly half past . . .three" said Carol.

"What's happened to TIM?" asked Janice.

"Sleeping. Biotronic" said Carol, still struggling against the urge to fall asleep. "I've been waiting for you."

"For me? How long for?" asked Janice "And why? Why you?"

"Had to be me. You said so. Came here for my birthday and I've been here all week" said Carol, getting off the bed "and I've not had a decent wink of sleep since I arrived."

"Carol, something's happening to me, and I don't know how much I can tell you" said Janice.

"Yes, yes I know what you did, and I ought to box your ears for it" said Carol, reaching for a shoulder bag under the telepathy table. "Take this and don't lose it for heaven's sake."

"Why? What's in it?" asked Janice, about to unzip it and look at it before Carol put her hand on it to prevent it.

"Don't look at it now" said Carol, placing the strap over Janice's head. "If you knew what it was you'd never take it, but it's your best hope. Just don't lose it. Give it to John when you get back to your own time, he'll figure out what to do with it."

"So I'm not back in my own time?" said Janice.

"You're tucked up in bed with Clive right now. Anyhow, you know when my birthday is, don't you?" said Carol.

"Oh, of course" said Janice. Janice wondered if Carol was quite with it. She had obviously been deprived of a lot of sleep and was exhausted. Janice sensed Carol's psychic emissions. They were confused and fuzzy. "Are you sure about all this? I mean, you're okay aren't you?"

"Janice I know about Dmitri and Bethany-Christine" said Carol, getting back into bed.

"How?" asked Janice.

"John told me" said Carol testily as she got back into the bed and pulled the duvet over her head. "Have you gone yet?" She got no answer. "Jan?" Still no answer. She was alone again.


	5. Chapter 5

A5 Mission Accomplished

Carol was preparing to say her goodbyes to her friends. She had succeeded in correcting her sister's temporal incursion, and after a comfortable night's sleep in Elizabeth and Ed's spare room, was preparing to return to the Galactic Trig. Dressed in her black AE suit, she sat by the telepathy table.

"Are you sure he knows the time, TIM?" asked Carol. "I've not seen him since the party."

"None of us have" said John.

"He's been out every night" said Janice. "Band practise."

"I made sure that everybody was aware, Carol. Only Elizabeth and Rachel gave apologies. They have a meeting that they cannot get out of at such short notice." replied TIM. "I cannot imagine Lyndon not wanting to see you off."

"Maybe he's forgot" said Anthony.

"I wouldn't put it past him" said Janice.

"Has anyone thought of contacting him" asked Ed. "You know" he added, tapping his temple.

Lyndon, have you forgotten what's going on? 'pathed John.

I'm on my way came the reply.

"He sounded exhausted" said Carol. "What's going on?"

Lyndon, are you okay? 'pathed Carol.

I'm okay, all right 'pathed Lyndon irritably. I'm here now. The others looked around. There was no sign of Lyndon. Isn't anybody going to open the door? 'pathed Lyndon.

Door? 'pathed John.

I'll explain John, just please open the door 'pathed Lyndon.

"Okay, TIM, open the door please" said John. The door slid open, and Lyndon walked through, pushing his bicycle.

"Lyndon! Why didn't you jaunt in?" asked Carol.

Lyndon looked round, embarrassed. "You'll only get mad at me" he said.

"Mad? Why?" asked Carol.

"Promise you won't flip" said Lyndon.

"Why should I flip?" said Carol.

"I couldn't jaunt in, because I've lost my crystal" said Lyndon.

"You've lost your crystal!" exclaimed Carol.

"You promised you wouldn't flip" said Lyndon.

"How? Where?" asked Carol.

"I don't know how" said Lyndon. "I think I lost it at your party, but you can get me another one, cant you?"

"That's not the point!" said Carol. "Wherever it is, it's where it shouldn't be now. Anybody could find it, then what?"

"Sorry Auntie Carol" said Lyndon. "I didn't mean it."

Carol lost her anger and hugged Lyndon, ruffling his hair. "Course you didn't" she said. "We'll just have to hope it turns up."


	6. Chapter 6

A5

Zener Cards

"Hello, Liz, Rachel. Glad you could make it" said Deborah welcoming them to the meeting. "I've had a cal from Gail. She's bringing a friend."

"Oh, that's nice!" said Elizabeth. "The more the merrier!"

Another one! 'pathed Rachel. A bigger dud than Dudley Dud from Dud Road, Dudsville, Dudshire, I should think.

Be optimistic 'pathed Elizabeth. I've a feeling tonight's going to be the night.

Elizabeth and Rachel had joined a local group who had advertised their presence as a psychical research group in the local newspaper. They met once a month in the local church hall, and Rachel and Elizabeth had been "volunteered" to join the group in the hope that they may uncover some potential Tomorrow People. So far, however, they had had no luck, and Rachel was beginning to get a little despondent. They signed in and went to hang up their coats.

"I've a good mind to do something tonight" said Rachel. "I'm in a naughty mood."

"We're supposed to be undercover remember. Observers only" replied Elizabeth.

"Well who does Deborah think she is? Who died and made her boss?" said Rachel.

"Okay, so she's a little full of herself, but we have to play by her rules. We're her to make discoveries, not to be discovered" said Elizabeth. "Anyway, keep quiet about it, I think Gail's just arrived."

Through the door walked a short bespectacled woman with red hair. "Sorry I'm late" said Gail. "I've brought a friend. Everyone, this is James."

Gail was followed in by an impossibly tall youth in his late teens. Suddenly something hit both Elizabeth and Rachel psychically.

Did you get that? 'pathed Rachel.

Did I? 'pathed Elizabeth. I knew tonight was going to be our lucky night.

He's very powerful 'pathed Rachel.

Yes, a little too powerful 'pathed Elizabeth. Maybe we should keep the telepathy to a bare minimum until we're really sure.

Okay 'pathed Rachel.

Deborah opened the meeting with a few welcoming words and a brief run-down of the evening's itinerary. "Right then, shall we begin with a session with the Zener cards? Who wants to be first?" said Deborah, looking round hopefully. Elizabeth and Rachel kept their heads low. "Ryan, how about you and . . . Lee?" The two men selected sat opposite each other across a table. Ryan, an overweight man in his thirties took the cards. He looked at the cards in turn and concentrated on each one. Lee, a bespectacled twentysomething concentrated equally hard I an attempt to read the cards.

"Square . . . waves . . . star . . ." Lee attempted to correctly identify the cards, but with little success.

"Okay, thank you Ryan and Lee" said Deborah with some forced applause, "now who wants to be next? How about you, new boy?"

"This is James, everybody" said Gail by way of introduction as James changed places with Lee.

"And who'd like to partner James?" said Deborah. "Martin, would you like . . ."

"I choose Carol" interrupted James, pointing directly at Elizabeth.

"My name's Elizabeth" said Elizabeth, correcting James.

"Sorry" said James. "Somehow I had the name 'Carol' in my head."

"Peculiar," said Elizabeth, changing places with Ryan, as Ryan handed her the Zener cards. "I have a friend called Carol." Elizabeth glanced at the first card. Before she had time to concentrate on the card, James replied correctly.

"Waves" said James. Elizabeth looked at the next card.

"Circle" said James correctly again. She looked at the next card.

"Star" said James. Correct again. Elizabeth glanced at the next card, and before she had time to take the card in herself, James answered.

"Waves again" he answered correctly. Elizabeth gave Rachel a knowing look. She tried to throw James off the scent. In her mind, she pictured a square as she turned over the next card before looking at it.

"Square" said James, "but the card has a triangle on it." Elizabeth looked at the card. Indeed it was printed with a triangle.

"Well , this is extraordinary" said Deborah. "I've never seen anything like this before! Where did you learn to do that?"

"I don't know" said James. "I thought everybody could do it."

"Just wait and see what else he can do" said Gail. "He can make solid objects float . . ." but she was swiftly interrupted by Elizabeth.

"Anybody ready for a drink? Don't know about you, but I'm parched" said Elizabeth, hoping that nobody caught what Gail was about to reveal.

Deborah looked at her watch. "Well it's a little early" she said, "but in the light of James's display, I think we all need a break to get our heads straight."

Elizabeth followed Gail into the kitchen. "So, tell me about James" she said. "Where did he spring from?"

"Funny story" said Gail. "Last night, well this morning really I suppose, we heard this noise downstairs. We thought we'd got a burglar, so Andy went downstairs, baseball bat in hand, and found him hiding under the kitchen table eating a frozen pizza."

"Frozen pizza?" said Elizabeth.

"Pulled it out of the freezer" said Gail. "Just sat there chewing away at it. Anyway the strangest thing happened. He got such a fright from seeing Andy bearing down on him with the bat that he leapt up and knocked the table over. But get this. All the stuff that was on the table, the placemats, the remains of the half bottle of wine and wine glasses from last night, they flew into the air and just hung there. Hung there floating in mid air for what seemed like ages before they came crashing to the floor!"

"Really!" said Elizabeth.

"Now you think I'm bonkers or something, don't you" said Gail.

"No, no, honest. Go on, tell me more" said Elizabeth.

"Not only that, we couldn't work out how he'd got in. There was no sign of a forced entry, no broken windows, and Andy's always been careful about locking up at night. It's almost as if he'd just appeared out of thin air" said Gail.

"And you don't know where he came from?" asked Elizabeth.

"No idea. We asked him his name, and he seemed to be struggling, like he couldn't remember. Every time we asked him a question, he strained to remember anything. Then suddenly, about ten minutes after, he just blurted it out. He said he thought his name was James" said Gail.

"Thought he was called James?" said Elizabeth.

"Yes" said Gail. "Anyway, Andy's adamant he isn't spending another night at ours, not after this morning. I was just wondering . . ."

"If he could stay at ours?" said Elizabeth, not able to believe her luck. "I think I could twist Ed's arm."

Just then, Elizabeth's phone rang. She answered. "Hello? Oh hi Ed."

"Liz, something's happened" said Ed.

"What sort of thing?" asked Elizabeth.

"It's serious. Something's happened at the Lab" said Ed. "I think you'd better get over here now."

"Ed, I've just promised someone a room for the night. A young boy. I think he might be - you know" said Elizabeth.

"Okay, I'll deal with him. Best not to jaunt over. I'll pick you up as soon as I can get over there and I can explain it on the way" said Ed before hanging up.

Liz, this kid's really powerful 'pathed Rachel. He's definitely one of us, but more, almost as if he's beyond us.

I've made arrangements with Gail to take him back home. Ed's coming for us. Lucky Carol's going home tonight or it'd be a very crowded house! By the way, we'll have to leave early. Ed said something's happened at the Lab and he'll tell me about it when he arrives 'pathed Elizabeth.

Dad? 'pathed Rachel. No reply. She tried again. No reply. She went to find Elizabeth.

"Liz, I can't raise Dad" said Rachel.

Elizabeth tried, again without success. She tried the others, Helen, Anthony, Carol, Lyndon, all without success. "I can't get anybody" said Elizabeth.

"Maybe it's got something to do with whatever's happened at the Lab." said Elizabeth. Just then, James approached.

"I'm so sorry about your loss" said James.

"Loss? What loss?" asked Elizabeth, but James became silent.


	7. Chapter 7

A7

A Little Crystal 2

"You said you had something for me?" asked Richard as he walked into Tom's laboratory at the university.

"Yes" said Tom. "Where did you get that crystal? asked Tom.

"I told you. My nephew dropped it. It belongs to him" said Richard.

"Yes, but where did he get it from?" asked Tom.

"I don't know" said Richard. "You know what kids are like. He could have got it anywhere. Off the internet, probably."

"The internet? If you can get these off the internet, I'll take a sackful, thank you very much" said Tom.

"Why? Is it special?" asked Richard.

"Take a look at this" said Tom. Tom mounted the crystal in a holder and placed it into the spectrophotometer. "Now watch the monitor." He began to type instructions into the computer. "See this line here" he said pointing at a particular graph being drawn on the computer screen, "this is the visible light output from the crystal, and you can see the value increases as I energise the crystal. The strange thing is, no matter what type of wavelength I put in, it emits visible light."

"So it's fluorescing?" said Richard.

"That's what I thought at first. Of course, you only get fluorescence when you energise something with ultra-violet light. This thing emits visible light regardless of the wavelength we put in" said Tom.

"So what is it?" asked Richard.

"I'm not entirely sure. It's some kind of energy converter or maybe some kind of amplifier" said Tom. "The really strange thing is, once I energise it and look through it, it doesn't act like a lens, it shows images – moving images – as if I'm looking through somebody else's eyes."

"This I've got to see" said Richard.

"Well I should think it's had enough of a battering now. We'll take it out and look through it, and you'll see what I mean" said Tom, as he took it out of the spectrophotometer. "It's a bit hot, so hold it by the edge."

Richard looked through the crystal, and saw figures moving around. Human figures. Human figures he knew. "That looks like Carol! That looks like my sister Carol. How odd! And those other people, they were at her birthday party last week. There's my other sister, Janice! How's this happening?"

Tom just shook his head.

Richard peered through the crystal again. "Carol's wearing, well it looks like motorcycle leathers, but I know that can't be right, she's been frightened of motorbikes since she fell off my uncle's Honda as a kid. The image is fading now Tom. Can you power it up a bit?"

Tom took the crystal and placed it inside the spectrophotometer. He slowly raised the energy levels. "This is as far as I've took it so far" said Tom. "I'm not sure how far to push it."

"Let's push it to the max" said Richard.

"There's no telling what'll happen" said Tom.

"Now's the time to find out" said Richard.

Tom went to the controls of the computer. And set the spectrophotometer to increase its energy input. They watched the output level recorded on the screen increase exponentially, until suddenly there was a bang followed by a plume of smoke coming from the spectrophotometer.


	8. Chapter 8

A8

Bang!

Anthony looked upwards. All he could see at first were clouds of dense smoke. He coughed to clear his throat, then called to the others. Ed was the first to answer.

"Over here, son" said Ed. "You all right John?"

John coughed. "What happened?" asked John.

"Don't ask me" said Ed. "Something blew. The moment Carol popped off." The smoke was still too thick to see clearly but Ed could just about see the source of the immediate problem. "John, I think TIM's down."

John looked upwards to see TIM's tubes shattered. The mist that surrounded them was in fact the contents of the tubes which had vaporised under the reduced pressure of the Lab. "Oh no, that's all we need! Right, everybody out I think" said John. John and Ed made for the door, and with great effort were able to force the door open. They stumbled out, to be followed Helen, Anthony and Lyndon.

"Is that vapour toxic?" asked Anthony.

"Not exactly" said John. "More irritant with prolonged exposure, but there shouldn't be any lasting effects. Now let's just do a quick headcount." With that John did a brief survey. "We're one or two short. Janice and Carol."

"Carol jaunted" said Anthony.

"Are you sure about that?" asked John.

"Yes, certain" said Anthony. "She dematerialised immediately before the explosion."

"Didn't you see?" said Helen. "As she was about to dematerialise, she fell backwards. The shock of the explosion, I suppose. Do you suppose that would matter?"

"I suppose it all depends whether or not the jaunt was complete" said John. Ed recovered his breath and made for the door. "Where are you off to?"

"Janice. She's still in there, and there's an outside chance that Carol didn't get away" said Ed just before he disappeared into the mist before returning a minute later carrying the semi-conscious Janice over his shoulder in a fireman's lift. "The mist's thinning out now" said Ed. "I had a very quick look around but there's no sign of Carol. She must have made it." He lay Janice on the ground and propped her up against the wall. Slowly, she came round.

"What happened?" she asked drowsily.

"Easy, love" said Ed. "We've just had a bit of an incident that's all."

By this time, the mist had almost completely gone. Curiosity had got the better of Anthony, who, without anybody else noticing, had gone back into the Lab. "I think you'd better take a look at this" Anthony shouted form inside the Lab. At his suggestion, they filed into the Lab to find Anthony standing above Carol's helmet. "I just hope this is just a helmet. I mean I hope there's nothing in it."

"Oh God no!" said Janice, realising what Anthony was implying. John moved slowly towards the helmet and gingerly rolled it over. It was empty. "Oh thank goodness for that!" said Janice. "I thought for a moment that . . . well never mind what I thought."

"This still begs the question of where Carol is" said John.

"She's gone! Jaunted" said Anthony.

"Not necessarily" said John. "She could still be in the Lab. Okay we'll have to search everywhere. Look behind the furniture, in the equipment room, everywhere." The others searched without success.

"She's definitely not here" said Lyndon, "so she must have made it."

"Oh Lyndon, I wish it were that simple" said John.

"What do you mean simple?" said Lyndon.

"I don't even want to think about it" sad John, "But to be honest, I don't fancy her chances making it back without her helmet."

"You mean? . . . Oh no!" exclaimed Janice.

"Not necessarily" said John, brushing the debris off the telepathy table. "Of course, we can't do much without TIM's help, but we can do our best. Right, Lyndon, Anthony, Helen, join me here and link." The Tomorrow People assembled around the table and touched hands. "Now we really need to concentrate to make contact." John led the 'path. Carol? Carol do you copy? No reply. Carol, this is John, please come in? still no reply. They persevered for ten whole minutes without success.

John's face became drained of all colour as the truth suddenly dawned on him. Carol was missing and should be presumed dead.


End file.
